Friday Real Talk

Did You Know Starbucks Started in Seattle, WA?

I was trying to find something interesting about Seattle and Starbucks… but honestly, the dates and store counts weren’t exciting me.

Then I thought about my own little story with Starbucks.

I built my coffeehouse, Flava, on Lake City Way in 2003 and closed her in 2008. Those were some hard years. I struggled as a small business owner, and the Great Recession added another challenge toward the end.

But let me back up and tell you what sold me on that location.

Flava was at the entrance to a brand-new apartment complex with 238 units. The selling point was that the residents would be my customers.

Two hundred and thirty-eight apartments right there. That sounded like an opportunity.

What I learned was that being right there did not mean people would walk through my door.

I was on a busy street heading north, with only street parking. The residents’ underground garage exited onto the back street. Very few residents came in and out through the gate near Flava.

The customers I thought would be right outside my door were going another way.

Then, around 2006, Starbucks built a nice-sized store with a nice-sized parking lot to the south of me.

Shortly afterward, another Starbucks opened to the north of me—with a drive-through.

Both on the same street. Both within walking distance of Flava.

Now, think about that from a customer’s perspective. You’re driving, you want coffee, and you can pull into a parking lot or go through a drive-through. That convenience matters.

And then there is the name.

When people think coffee, they think Starbucks.

Even myself. 😉

Starbucks began in Seattle in 1971 as a store selling coffee beans, tea and spices. Years later, it became the coffeehouse business so many people recognize today. (about.starbucks.com)

There is an interesting story in how they grew. But there is also a story in what it feels like to be the little coffeehouse trying to survive nearby.

The small business owner… ugh, ugh. It was such a struggle.

My concept and setup were welcoming. I believed in what I was building. But I could not compete with that coffee icon’s recognition, parking and convenience.

Starbucks was one part of a much bigger struggle. The location, the traffic flow, the customers I expected, the economy—all of it mattered.

Looking back, that apartment complex was a reminder that a promising sales pitch and the everyday reality of running a business can be two very different things.

So yes, Starbucks started here in Seattle.

And for five years, my little Flava had a place here too.

When you choose where to get your coffee, what brings you through the door? The name? The convenience? The coffee? Or the people and the feeling inside?

Real Talk with Lady Flava 🌻

From Flava in Her Tower 🌻